1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a silver halide photographic light-sensitive material and, more particularly, to a silver halide photographic light-sensitive material containing a scarcely water-soluble photographic additive dispersed in a hydrophilic organic colloid layer using a specific aromatic ester.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventionally, a scarcely water-soluble photographic additive, for example, an oil-soluble coupler, an antioxidant for preventing color stain or color contamination, a color fading preventing agent (such as an alkylhydroquinone, an alkylphenol, a chroman, a cumarone, etc.), a hardening agent, an oil-soluble filter dye, an oil-soluble ultraviolet absorbing agent, a compound capable of releasing a development inhibitor by reaction with a developing agent (i.e., a DIR compound, such as a DIR hydroquinone, a non-color forming DIR compound, etc.), a developing agent, a dye developing agent, a compound capable of releasing a diffusible dye by self-cleavage with oxidation under alkaline conditions (i.e., a DRR compound), a compound capable of releasing a diffusible dye by coupling with a color developing agent (i.e., a DDR coupler), and the like is dissolved in an appropriate organic solvent having a high boiling point, dispersed in an aqueous solution of a hydrophilic organic colloid, particularly gelatin, in the presence of a surface active agent, and the resulting mixture is incorporated in a hydrophilic organic colloid layer, for example, a light-sensitive emulsion layer, a filter layer, a backing layer, an antihalation layer, an intermediate layer, a protective layer, and the like. In such a case, a phthalic acid ester type compound and a phosphoric acid ester type compound are particularly useful as the high boiling point organic solvent.
These types of solvents are used in producing most color and black and white light-sensitive photographic materials as solvents for a photographic additive (such as an oil-soluble incorporated type coupler, etc.). These solvents are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,332,027, 2,533,514, 3,287,134, 3,748,141 and 3,779,765, German Pat. No. 1,152,610, British Pat. No. 1,272,561, German patent application (OLS) No. 2,629,842, etc. The high boiling point organic solvents of the phthalic acid ester and the phosphoric acid ester type are widely used, since these solvents are considered to be useful compounds with respect to dispersion capability for couplers, affinity to a gelatin colloid layer, influence on the stability of the color image formed, influence on the hue of the color image formed, chemical stability in photographic light-sensitive materials, low price, and the like.
However, these high boiling point organic solvents do not always fulfill all requirements such as dispersion capability for scarcely water-soluble photographic additives, affinity to an organic hydrophilic colloid layer, influence on the photographic properties, chemical stability in photographic light-sensitive materials, and the like.
For instance, certain high boiling point organic solvents have good dispersion capability but adversely affect the photographic properties (for example, the light fastness of the color image formed upon development when a photographic coupler is dispersed) and certain high boiling point organic solvents have good photographic properties but poor dispersion properties.